Many methods have been conceived in recent years to prevent package tampering. Such methods including sealing the container with a product that will make the container tamper evident. These devices include various types of seals and wraps that will immediately provide evidence of tampering if any attempt is made to remove them. Such tamper evident seals provide a warning to potential users. Other devices include tear strips around the lids or caps on containers. The tear strip breaks away and can be torn off allowing removal of the lid. Any attempt to pry the lid off will result in damage to the tear strip providing evidence of tampering.
Most of the devices presently available concentrate on some way on sealing the lid to containers with shrink wrap devices or with tear strips. It would be advantageous, however if the tear strip could be incorporated into the container itself allowing the use of standard lids. There are devices provided on a container that block access to the lip of the lid preventing the lid from being removed without evidence of tampering. With these devices a collar or flange is provided that blocks the peripheral edge around the skirt on the lid preventing the lid from being easily removed. A small break away flange is provided on a portion of the blocking flange that can be removed to get a grip on the edge of the lid for removal. A tab on the blocking flange is joined by two thin sections. A downward pressure on the flange causes it to rupture and break away allowing the person to grip the edge of the lid for removal. However these devices are not very effective as the lid can be pried off relatively easy without damaging the barrier created by the flange. It would be advantageous if the flange or collar could be constructed on the container to snugly seal the periphery of the lid. It would also be advantageous if it could be completely removed after the container is opened.
Also most containers that have tamper evident strips just have a breakaway portion and leave all or a substantial portion of the strip on the container. Preferably the tamper evident strip should tear completely away leaving a clean standard container.
It is therefore one object of the present invention to provide a tear away flange or collar on a container that snugly seals the periphery of a lid.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a tamper evident strip on a container that allows standard lids to be used.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a tamper evident strip on a container that seals around the periphery of a cup lid and substantially prevents removal of the lid without any evidence of tampering damage to the strip.
The above and other novel features and advantages of the invention will be more fully understood from the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings in which: